1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a computer display system, and more particularly, the invention is directed to a display system which manages the creation, copying and resizing of windows on a graphics display. An interface is provided which allows an operator to interactively mark an area on the display that defines the boundaries of a resized window. Information on the display within the defined area is duplicated in the resized window. This approach facilitates the incorporation of the contents of several windows into a single window.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
The past several years have seen an increase in the usage of workstations performing applications ranging from spreadsheets to graphics. Many of these applications have taken advantage of the newer, more powerful microprocessors and their advanced functions. One of the advanced functions, windowing, allows a single microprocessor system to manage multiple applications for a user.
Microsoft Windows.TM. is an example of a window manager. Windows.TM. allows the user to have multiple applications active in multiple windows at the same time. The windows default to occupy preselected areas on the display. The dimensions of a window can be modified by stretching or shrinking the X dimension or the Y dimension using the size command. Copying of information from one window to another window is accommodated by placing a copy of the text into the clipboard and then transferring the clipboard copy of the text to another window. This approach does not provide the user with an easy-to-use technique for combining multiple windows into a single window application. In addition, when a window is initially created, it is displayed in a predefined, rectangular area. The user is not given the opportunity to preselect the dimensions of the window. A further drawback of this approach is that any information copied through the clipboard intermediate storage area technique described above loses any attribute information associated with it.